Aaaaand we’ve reached the final Friday Cheers of the season. Le sigh.

It always feels to me like Friday Cheers goes by in a flash, but not because it’s uneventful (after tonight, I will have made it to four of the season’s shows — Todd Herrington, J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Funky Meters and Neko Case). It’s just one of those things — once you get a taste, you want it to be there all the time, even though you knew from the outset that it was only temporary. Like good peaches. Or fresh corn. Or happiness with your decision to eat Taco Bell.

It’s especially tough seeing this 30th season end, because the folks at Friday Cheers put together a truly amazing lineup — maybe the best they’ve ever assembled — and because I got to interview two of the performers in the past few months. In fact, when I interviewed J. Roddy Walson for West End’s Best magazine, we talked about how excited he was for his May 30th show, and how impressive the series is from a booking perspective. Here’s the quote I pulled out for the print edition of the interview:

Every year I’m mind-blown by how Friday Cheers seems to be ahead of the curve. They booked Alabama Shakes before they cracked, and our friends Shovels & Rope. When they announced Shovels & Rope, it was six months before they all of a sudden skyrocketed. I’m always impressed by the people booking Friday Cheers. It felt good that we got included on that list, because it’s a good omen, like it’s going to be a good year for us.

Well put, if you ask me. I hope you’ll come to tonight’s Neko Case show and join me in raising a glass to Venture Richmond and Stephen Lecky for doing such a great job. If anyone deserves a cheers, it’s them. To get you pumped up, I’ve posted Case’s Halloween Tiny Desk Concert above and a song from her latest album below. See you on Brown’s Island!

Neko Case — “Night Still Comes” [Spotify/iTunes]